The new French government plans to adopt even tougher immigration laws next year, spearheaded by hardline Interior Minister Bruno Letailault. It is the latest in a series of moves under French President Emmanuel Macron to tackle immigration, a favorite issue of the far right.
Shortly after Bruno Letailot took over as interior minister, he made it clear that he was committed to “law and order” and vowed, among other things, to crack down on illegal immigration.
“The French people want more order on their streets and on their borders,” he said when he took up his new role in late September after more than two months of political deadlock in France.
Letailault denounced “mass immigration” and suggested France could be overwhelmed by the flow of migrants, a shift in rhetoric that reflects the far-right’s long-standing restraint.
France has seen a steady increase in immigration over the past decade, but this pales in comparison to the rate of increase in other European countries. According to official statistics, at the beginning of 2013 there were around 5.8 million immigrants living in France, representing 8.8% of the population.
“If the rules have to change, let’s change them.”
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